When You're Gone
by erdbeerpfannkuchen
Summary: Antonio leaves for work, leaving a very disgruntled Italian home alone for the day. Lovino copes with boredom, and the increasingly annoying fact that he misses Antonio when he's gone.


It was early, far too early for Spain to wake up. Well, any time before noon was too early for him to wake up--but 5:30? Honestly, it was ridiculous.

"Lovi~" Antonio shook the shoulder of his precious tomato, knowing that at this hour, he would probably be far more irritable than usual.

".. Mmphf?" Lovino turned around from his comfortable spot on the bed, "Spain..? What the hell are you doing up..?"

"Francis said he needed to see me, urgently." He smiled, sitting next to the younger man, playing with the Italian's curl, twirling it around his finger, "Jealous?~"

"Ggh-- _LETGOOFMYHAIR! _" Romano squirmed and slapped Antonio's hand away "B-_BASTARD!"_

"Ah, I didn't mean to get you so awake.. But now that you are..~"

Lovino slapped his face this time.

"Lovi~ Stop being so mean to Antonio!~" Spain whined, rubbing the red hand imprint on his face.

"I-Idiot. Just go already."

Spain blinked, and looked at him for a long moment. "Lovi, I just wanted to say goodbye." His brow furrowed, and eyes moved down, "I've been very busy lately, and I don't want you to feel--"

"Shut up, like it bothers me!" Italy snapped. "It's like you're gone half the time with your Goddamn sleeping habits, lazy ass! I do all the work in this house, I don't need you for anything!"

"Lovino, I--"

"I already told you to go."

Sighing heavily, Spain grabbed his briefcase, and went out the door, closing it softly behind him.

**

Five hours later, Lovino stirred from his slumber. His night was dreamless, as it often was. Strangely, he woke up cold, which was not something that happened very often.

"Antonio, stop hogging the blankets.." he muttered, feeling around for said blankets. He was already covered completely, from head to toe. He was lacking an Antonio.

"Antonio..?" he asked, rubbing his sleep covered eyes. Blinking for a moment, his vision focused, and he saw that there was, in fact, no Antonio. Oh right. Shit.

He got out of bed, naked as the day he was born. Stretching his hands over his head, and his legs out, he got off the bed and over to the dresser. After putting on his boxers, he needed to decide which clothes to wear, which was fairly easy for him, seeing as he just stuck in his hand and picked out whatever was there.

He plunged his hand in, and pulled out the first thing his fingers touched. Pulling out the pale green striped oxford, he looked at it for a long moment.

_"Lovi, wear this~" the Spaniard held out the green shirt, smiling._

_"Eh? Why the hell should I buy that?"_

_"It goes cute with your eyes!~" Antonio could hardly stop himself from giggling at the blush that adorned the Italian's face._

_"Sh-Shut up you b-bastard!" he pushed his companion away from him. "Like HELL I'm going to buy it now!"_

_"That's okay, Lovi!~ I'll buy it FOR you!~" Running up to the cashier, he not only bought that shirt, but an identical one in pale blue for himself._

_"Merda.."_

The brunette grumbled, throwing the shirt back into the drawer. He grabbed white one, shifting it onto his shoulders and hastily buttoned it up. Pulling a pair of khakis on, he made his way down the stairs for breakfast.

Shifting through the fridge, he didn't find anything particularly appetizing, aside from his dear tomatoes. Checking the pantry for something more appetizing, he pulled out some Captain Crunch cereal from where the grains were kept. " Better than nothing, I suppose.."

Behind the wheat bread, he saw the edge of a tortilla.

_"Lovino! Come in here!" Antonio yelled up the stairs._

_"What the hell do you want?!" Lovino yelled back._

_"Just come down, Lovi~"_

_Italy certainly hoped it wasn't another of his.. suprises. If he was naked.._

_Please, no._

_He approached the steps, and leaned over the banister. "WHAT?"_

_Spain was covered in flour, smiling even wider than usual. In his tanned hand, he held a large clump of dough. "Come down here!~ I'm making dinner tonight!~"_

_"E-Eh?! NO WAY! YOUR FOOD SUCKS!"_

_"Aw, Loviiiiii~ Please!~" He whined. "I worked hard to make this dough!"_

_"No!"_

_"IT'S GOT TOMATOES IN THE DIIIISH!"_

_Well, he certainly couldn't let Spain fuck up the best fruit in the world._

_"..Fine."_

_[ Three hours later.. ]_

_Lovino sighed with exhaustion. He was on the floor, covered in flower, some salsa, and maybe some fragments of exploded chicken. Damn Spain. He'd never help him with cooking again._

_Antonio was on the floor right next to him. He laughed heartily, turning over on his side to face his love._

_"I can't believe this..." Italy groaned_

_"It was fun though, huh?~ And we have a nice dinner to look forward to~"_

_"Fuck you."_

_"Whenever you want, to, Lovi."_

_"P-P-Puttana!!"_

_Spain only laughed again._

Romano slammed the door to the pantry.

"Merda.."

**

He moved over to the living room, eating his Capitan Crunch, grumbling to himself. Fucking Spain, infesting his house with his memories. It was annoying seeing Spain wherever he looked. It was his house, too, dammit!

The Italian continued to curse under his breath, and sat on the couch, stretching his legs out, propping one up on another seat, and placing the other on the floor. Romano took the remote off the side table, and turned on the television.

It was still on the CBS. Apparently, a special broadcast of _The Notebook_ was on. It was that overly- romantic sappy scene where those two idiots make out in the rain. Stupid. They'll catch a cold.

He changed the channel. This time it was Comedy Central. He should be safe here.

_Scrubs_. Wonderful. He sighed audibly. Mindless comedy shows had little appeal to him, though at least it wasn't--

Fuck. Elliot and J. D. Fucking.

God damn.

Lovino changed the goddamn channel. _Again_.

ABC.

Grey's Anatomy.

Fuck you, Television.

Of course, it wasn't all bad. Being straight, it wasn't as if he _minded_ watching two people do it. Though like the fucking retards they were, they don't broadcast the whole intercourse, more like the first 3 seconds. Alas.

With the press of a button, the offending scene was off. He returned to his breakfast, sullenly considering purchasing a new cable provider. Like there was anything _else_ to do with Spain gone. Though it wasn't as if he needed Spain for amusement. He didn't need Spain for anything. The bastard.

Throwing the dirty bowl and spoon in the dishwasher, he begrudgingly went upstairs to make their shared bed. Lovino was well old enough to have his own room, and there was plenty of empty ones in the house (mainly used for storage. _"Lovi! DON'T THROW AWAY THAT PINATA!"_) But unfortunately, he wasn't allowed to have his own room.. And he was glad. If he was offered a new one, he would have to accept to honor his pride. No matter how he denied it, it was nice to have someone to wake up with. Even that damn Spaniard.

Not to say, it wasn't a pain in the ass waking him up when Antonio was latched onto his torso like a parasite.

He sighed, pulling open the door and inhaling the familiar scent of musk, sweat, linen, and tomatoes. Southern Italy pulled away the curtains, tying them to the side and letting the light shine in. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, the tomatoes were ripening, and off in the distance, he could see the ocean. There was the lap of waves and the call of seagulls. He stared out the window for a long time.

_"Lovi, Lovi~ Hurry up, before it gets dark!"_

_"W-Where are you taking me?!" The Italian struggled in the other man's grasp, hitting his arm with his free hand. "LET GO!"_

_"It's a surprise!~ Close your eyes!" Antonio laughed, covering the struggling one's eyes in the way you would when playing "Peek-a-Boo."_

_"I SAID, LET--" He stopped midsentence at the shock of being picked up. "What the--"_

_"Calm down, Lovino! We're not going far!" Spain sighed, having the South of Italy thrown over his shoulder. Kids these days.. "Just trust me, okay? And keep your eyes closed."_

_Lovino reluctantly complied, tightly closing his eyes in accordance to the Spaniard's demands. Where the hell was the bastard taking--_

_"Lovi, open your eyes!~" Antonio said, setting him down._

_He did. Before him was the most stunning sunset he had ever seen, a glowing orange orb against a variety pinks, blues, and yellows in an explosion of color across the sky._

_"Antonio.." he gasped, breathless. "It's.. gorgeous.." The blast of color reflected in his eyes, sparkling with wonder at the magnificent sight. How could he have found the perfect day for this..?_

_"I knew you'd like it!" Antonio smiled, putting an arm around Lovino's shoulders, making his heart pound nearly out of his chest, and his face tinge with red. "A-Antonio.."_

_"Though even that sunset isn't as beautiful as you, Lo--"_

_"You just killed the moment, bastard."_

Italy moved his attention back to the tousled bedcovers. He stripped the starched sheets, smoothing out the wrinkles. They smelled like him. A house with one person and a bed for two.

"Fuck my life."

Throwing himself onto the bed, he breathed in the thick scent of his lover. "Stop leaving me here, dammit."

He pulled the neglected and unmade sheets over his head, allowing himself to wallow in his angst. Though he couldn't allow himself to cry over anyone. He made that vow with himself long ago. But this house seemed too large without Spain there. Of course it was way too big of a house for two people, anyway. But the noise made up for the space. When he was gone, Lovino was only left with silence.

Frankly, it sucked.

He scooted off the bed, and sadly continued to make it, until it looked like no one had ever slept there, and it was his own bed. He didn't need anybody next to him anymore. He was old enough to have his own room, and he should act like it.

He flopped onto "his" bed, pulling up "his" pillow, and curled up on "his" side, despite the fact that "his" bed belonged to Antonio, "his" pillow was the one that Antonio's head always rested on at night(and most of the morning) and "his" side was the one that Antonio laid on, the side where he cuddled his love on. But that didn't matter.

He clutched the pillow in his arms, burying his face in it, and pulling his knees around the plush surface. "I hate you.." He choked out, and fell asleep, unknown to himself he had broken his vow.

**

At the late hour of the night, though not quiet late enough to be considered morning, Antonio returned to his house, tie loosened, hair a mess, bags under his eyes, and clothes wrinkled and messed up. It had been a _long_ day.

France had tried him to get to spend the night, after all, their meeting had gone longer then planned, no thanks to Francis's tendency to drift off topic. (_"Agriculture.. Speaking of which, you should see my herb garden!"_) and Spain had been all to enthusiastic to catch up with a friend rather than do business with a colleague. Though the chatting had taken it's toll- He'd expected to come home much earlier.

He threw his briefcase on the table, stripping himself of his tie, jacket, and shoes. _Lovi will be veeery upset with Antonio, _he thought, withholding a giggle._ I hope he hasn't had dinner yet... _With a devious smirk, he opened the fridge and began to search for something to eat...

**

"Lovi~" Antonio whispered, pushing the door slightly ajar. "Are you still awake..?" He opened the door father, the light settling on the form of the sleeping man. He smiled broadly at his adorable tomato.

"Lovinoooo~ come on, it's only for a moment."

Lovino turned from Antonio's pillow. "Hm..?" He blinked, looking up at the light, and the man it surrounded. "..Antonio..?" he rubbed his eyes, yawning a little. "What time is it..?"

Spain's wide grin faded into a sheepish ghost of a smile. "Oh, about.. 11: 24?"

Lovino shot up from his comfortable spot on the bed. "YOU WERE AT THAT FUCKING FRANCE'S HOUSE FOR THIS LONG--"

"Lo- Lovi, Lovi.. I- I'm sorry.. I'll make it up to you, I-"

"Like hell you're sorry, you bastard! Get the hell away from me!" He felt tears well up in his eyes. Fucking Spain, making him cry. "In fact, just GO hell! I hate you!"

"Calm down, I said I was--"

"I told you to get out!" He took the pillow from his arms, throwing it at him. "I DON'T CARE WHERE YOU GO. _JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"_

Spain frowned, catching the pillow, "I'm sorry, Lovi. I love you..."

With that, Antonio closed the door and left, leaving Lovino completely alone once more.

"Serves him right, bastard.." he muttered, pulling his own pillow close to his chest.

Antonio was completely devastated, his heart having been impaled by the person dearest to him. He glanced at the kitchen table. He had made a fancy clam pasta dish, lit candles, put out the fine china and a delicate tablecloth. It looked like something out of a romance movie.

Which was sort of what he was going for.

He sighed heavily, feeling the weight of guilt on his shoulders growing heavier by the moment. It's not as if he wanted to go off on meetings all the time and leave his Lovi at home..

Antonio blew out the candles, pulled up his chair, and dined alone.

**

Lovino blinked at the sunlight that streamed through his window. He sat up, pushing aside the white cloths covering his lower body. He had left the blinds aside yesterday, hadn't he?

Yesterday..

"Merda."

Pulling open the doorway, he ran downstairs, feeling his face turn red. What the hell had he done? It's not Antonio's fault he's so easy going. And Lovino was just getting frustrated that he was busy, was all, it's not like he didn't have the right to be upset-

He looked at the table, slowing down his pace. Though the plates had been cleared, the candles and tablecloth were still up.. Had he tried to make it up to him as a surprise..?

"..Fucking--"

He turned around, and saw Antonio on the couch, snoring softly, still in his business clothes from yesterday. Lovino crawled over next to him, and kissed his cheek, as he would in a customary greeting. "Y-You really suck you know that?" he whispered slightly, feeling even more heat rising to his face.

Sighing at the content man, he got up to make breakfast for the two of them.

**

It was approaching ten am when Antonio stirred from his slumber. His sleep had been hardly blissful, he had been trying to figure out how he could possibly make it up to his Lovi. He still had plenty of work to do, and he couldn't just skip the meetings, no matter how much he wanted to..

He blinked. "Meh.. _¿Qué es ese sonido..?_" The Spaniard asked. It sounded like the sizzling of..

Sausages?

"About time you woke up."

"..Lovi?"

He sat up slightly, to look into the kitchen. The Italian was, indeed, making sausages. While wearing a frilly apron, and his hair in a rag the way Elizaveta styled it for him way back when, no less.

The table had been cleared from last night, aside from the tablecloth, and new china was set out, along with fresh tea and coffee, orange juice, eggs, pancakes, French toast, fresh fruit, jelly..

"Come on, get over here and eat already."

"..You made all that for me?~"

"N-No, dumbass." He stuttered, gripping the pan he held tighter.

"Eh? Who did you make it for, then?"

"I..I made it for _us_."

Antonio was silent for a long moment. He made it for both of them. This was not an uncommon thing, but he never made such a big show of it..

As if suddenly superhuman, he leapt over the couch and went over to the table, pulling up a seat. Lovino scraped the finished eggs onto the Spaniard's plate, and pulled up a seat next to him. They ate in silence for a moment, before Antonio piped up.

"Hey, Lovi?"

"What?"

"Thank you."

Lovino's curl twitched, and his face started to get that familiar red. "J-Just eat your breakfast, you bastard."

Antonio only laughed.

*Note: Merda=Shit, in Italian. Fun Fun.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Axis Powers Hetalia, nor any of the characters. Dammit.

**So, that's my little story thar. Review, yes?**


End file.
